Full Breakdown
HoYoverse Announces Closed Beta “Evolution Test” for Honkai: Nexus Anima
6/22/2026, 12:46:31 PM
Evolution Test Closed Beta Launch Details
On June 22, 2026 HoYoverse announced from Singapore that the closed beta, called the Evolution Test, will begin on July 9, 2026 for Honkai: Nexus Anima. The test will run on PC, iOS, and Android. Players must complete a survey on the official website; a lottery will select participants. HoYoverse describes the beta as a non-paying, data-wiping trial that provides early access to core gameplay, story, new characters, regions, and the Anima evolution system.
Game Premise and Setting
Honkai: Nexus Anima is a creature-collecting adventure-strategy title and the latest entry in the Honkai series. The story revolves around the “Nexus,” a bond that once linked opposing forces such as love and hate or light and dark. After the “Sundering” (also called the Honkai event), these bonds shattered and reformed as living entities called Anima. Players control a dimensional traveler who escapes captivity and starts the journey in a quiet town—named Iia in some releases and Iya in others—within the Reality Plane.
HoYoverse
HoYoverse, the global interactive entertainment brand that announced the test, is overseeing development of Nexus Anima. The company says the Evolution Test will inform the game’s final design and balance.
Beta Participation Parameters
Selected testers will experience Anima capture, evolution, naming, and photo-journal features, and may encounter rare Chromatic Anima. The test also introduces companions such as Nanafey, Bai Mei, and Olympia, and early versions of locations like Iya Village, Newtown district, Bond Hall, and the True Nexus Group building.
Official Statement
HoYoverse said the Evolution Test “will give selected players an early look at the game’s expanding world and systems.” It added that the test will “feature core gameplay, story elements, new characters and Anima, as well as new regions and diverse content.” The company directed interested players to its official website and social-media channels for details.
Town Name Discrepancy
Source material differs on the name of the starting settlement. GamesPress reports the traveler begins in “Iia,” while Cogconnected and Inven Global refer to the location as “Iya.” Both descriptions identify the settlement as a quiet town or village in the Reality Plane, but the spelling inconsistency remains unresolved in the current announcements.
What’s Next
HoYoverse indicates that feedback from the Evolution Test will shape subsequent development phases and the eventual full release of Honkai: Nexus Anima. The company plans to release further updates, including additional beta windows and expanded content, through its official communication channels.
